While the events of this year seriously derailed our social plans, it had perhaps the opposite effect on our content consumption. In the podcast world, there were more shows and conversations about our health and the Black Lives Matter movement, released in response to two of the year's biggest topics. We also saw an increase in escapist shows, from nostalgic travel podcasts to period fiction. While there's been no shortage of great content in 2020, CBC Podcasts reached out to industry experts to recommend hidden gem podcasts that stood out to them.
Remember what Friday nights used to feel like? It was freedom, that moment when you get off work, and your time no longer belongs to someone else — the night is yours. Here is an ode, a time capsule, ...Show More
Content Warning: This episode contains gun violence and racial and ethnic slurs. A numbers war begins in 1920s Harlem. Starring: Gabrielle Adkins - Madame Stephanie St. Clair Ian Bell - Dutch Schult...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Created by Yhane Smith, and her research on the life of the real Stephanie St. Clair, a numbers queen and activist in the Harlem Renaissance, Harlem Queen brings all the glamour, drama, and insight i...Show More
Governments are taking drastic measures to try to slow down the spread of #COVID-19 - declaring emergencies, shutting down businesses and sealing borders. But what about drug users? We have been faci...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Crackdown for me shows the power of podcasting—an ongoing series about drugs, drug policy and the war on drugs, made by people who are directly affected. Old school media would kill the mic on this p...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"I really enjoyed this podcast. I think we desperately need more Canadian journalists covering our cultural, music and arts scenes and this podcast is proof positive of the importance of our stories r...Show More
A crucial new piece of information comes to light. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. V...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"I really enjoyed Once Upon A time.... In The Valley, the story of porn star Traci Lords. They managed to get interviews from all sides of the scandal that was Traci and in the end, it's really up to ...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"One show I listened to and really enjoyed this year was California Love—a sort of audio memoir by Walter Thompson-Hernandez. The whole thing felt like a love letter to LA , except it was filled with ...Show More
Next stop, Philadelphia, specifically Delaware County, where the 2007 NBA betting scandal was hatched. “Delco”, as Delaware County is commonly known, is home to the Sixers, bookmakers, and Philly mobs...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Even for someone who doesn't follow the NBA, sports journalist Tim Livingston's show was mesmerizing. It foregoes focusing on the story's more salacious elements to paint a broader, and vastly more i...Show More
Detroit FBI agent Ned Timmons busts Toby Anderson, a violent criminal who also fancies himself a budding country music star. Ned flips Toby and goes undercover as a biker, but Toby quickly goes out of...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"I loved Pushkin's Deep Cover. It's a bingeable crime series that's almost too outlandish to be true. The music, the cast of characters (and accompanying sketch portraits), and Walton Goggins' voiceov...Show More
Van Jones is like the Van Gogh of fighting for justice and human rights. But Van Gogh never helped pass bi-partisan criminal justice reform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Iron Mike and the gang rock surprisingly great interviews, even while they indulge in various cannabis products." - Glynn Washington, Snap Judgment Studios
Bianca goes looking for a stranger and meets Sophia, a school crossing guard. They spend six months together. Featuring: Sartre, twists, and organ music.
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Bianca Giaever made a series that reminded me why I love this medium, and that it's possible to take on the ~big~ questions with humor, weirdness, and grace." - Jody Avirgan, This Day in Esoteric Pol...Show More
In this episode, find out why your menstrual cycle is so much more than managing a period and how the emotional changes throughout the month are actually four superpowers. Within each cycle you have f...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Bianca Giaever made a series that reminded me why I love this medium, and that it's possible to take on the big questions with humor, weirdness, and grace." - Jody Avirgan, This Day in Esoteric Polit...Show More
Join Zach Mack on his travel adventures Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"I had never heard a travel podcast until Greetings from Somewhere, and you can't help but appreciate the show's timing. Just as the holidays are approaching and health departments are advising millio...Show More
cbcpodcasts recommended:
"Welcome to LA was stunning. I took a long bath on a Friday night and listened to David Weinberg's elegy to Friday nights of the past." - Avery Trufelman, The Cut